★★★★★

I am always thrilled when I discover a new female crime novelist who does not only keep up with her fellow male crime writers, but actually sets new standards, and Mo Hayder is without a doubt one of them.

In her debut novel Birdman she creates a killer with such perverted and sick rituals it makes Norman Bates look like a choir boy. So beware, this is not for the weakhearted. What makes Hayder’s writing so brilliant is most certainly the deep psychology behind the charcaters, and the POV scenes of the killer lets us in on his every thought and every action, soemthing which actually gave me nightmares.

The detective chasing this murderer, Jack Caffery, is a likeable fellow with his own troubles and a heartfelt sorrow dealing with his younger brother’s disappearance when they were little. With Jack, Mo Hayder builds a complex main character with flaws that make him very human.

The writing itself is thorough and detailed, and she switches scenes with a nice tempo.

I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series around Jack Caffery and see what horrors she will shock me with. I just have to build up the nerve to start reading book two…